The Cat's Meow
by Maryilee
Summary: A day in the life of Gary Hobson.


Gary tries to save a boy from a group beating. This is my first attempt at first person pov and I had a lot of fun writing this. I loved getting into Gary's head. Who knew that he had such a dry sense of humor?

My eyes snapped open and I rolled my head to see the clock. Six-twenty-nine. Taking a deep breath, I rubbed my hand through my hair and scrubbed my fingers on my scalp. I had one more minute of blissful ignorance before the paper arrived heralding the day's events and tragedies. One more minute of not knowing what was going to happen today. One more minute to just be me, Gary Hobson, ordinary guy.

I thought about closing my eyes again but instead I sat up and slid the alarm to the off position. A yawn overtook me as I swung my legs off the side of the bed.

I watched the clock and waited. The numbers morphed into a three and a zero. At the exact same instant a plop and a meow sounded outside my door. I couldn't help it; a little bit of adrenline shot through my body. _Gentlemen, start your engines! _

I snickered as I crossed to the door and thought how apt that phrase was for me. How often did I race all over Chicago trying to save people? Too bad I didn't have a pit crew to help me.

The cat gave me a haughty look as he entered, tail held high. I felt a sliver of dread in my gut. I was getting pretty decent at reading the cat's body language and right now, it was telling me that he didn't think that I, a mere human, could handle it today. I shook my head. How sad was it that I based my day on a cat's body language?

I leaned over and snatched the paper off the floor where the cat had left it. It didn't look like there was too much on the front page, just the usual city council wars and international news. The President was off to Camp David for a working vacation. Sheesh, must be nice.

I tossed the paper onto the bed as I headed towards the kitchen to feed the cat. In some hopeful corner of my mind, I still thought that if I fed the animal really well, it would somehow give me easier jobs to do. The last time I purchased cat food, I even bought the expensive stuff. What a waste of money. The very next day, I had to prevent an armed bank robbery. It was back to plain old cat chow for the furball now.

Cat blinked at me in confusion as he sniffed his breakfast. _Ha!_ Guess he was expecting Fancy Feast. It felt good to be the one in charge for once. I grinned but tried not to let the cat see it.

I left him to his meal and sat on the bed, the paper opened on my lap as I skimmed the pages. I was getting pretty good at finding the stories I could or would change, and the scent of coffee hadn't even wafted from the kitchen before I found the first item that needed my attention.

Damn! I _am _fluent in cat. I must be, because right there on the front page of the metro section was the story the cat had warned me about with his scornful look.

I swallowed hard and shook my head, letting a curse slip out. The article reported how a middle school boy had been jumped by a mob of kids while on his way to school. The boy had been taken to the hospital with severe head injuries.

The article didn't give the exact time or even the exact address. Just somewhere on Belmont near a middle school. At least it gave the name of the school so that narrowed the area. I guess I would just have to cruise the neighborhood looking for a mob of kids. It looked like I had my work cut out for me. I glanced at the clock. If I hurried, I might have time for both a shower and a quick cup of coffee.

--

I circled the neighborhood several times in the McGinty's van before I came to the realization that just hoping to find a mob of kids was a really stupid plan. The sidewalks were full of middle school kids walking to school. Mobs were everywhere. That's how kids this age traveled. In roving packs. I pulled the van up against the curb and threw the vehicle into park.

"There's gotta be more in here. Another clue...something." I grabbed the paper from inside my jacket and re-read the article. Ah-ha! A witness stated that she lived right around the corner on Wolcott and said that these kinds of incidents were happening more often. She was afraid to walk to school some days.

Well, that narrowed it down. I ducked my head and looked at the street sign on the corner ahead of me. North Wolcott. Okay, it should happen right around here somewhere. I tucked the paper back into my jacket and exited the van. I had no idea exactly what I could do to prevent this. Maybe just walk near the intended victim, if I could pick him out in time, and hope my presence would make a difference.

A brisk wind blew in from the east, bringing Lake Michigan cold and dampness with it. I turned my collar up and hunched into my coat wishing I had worn something warmer. Overhead, weak sunlight filtered through a thin layer of gray clouds.

I paced the sidewalk, keeping a lookout for anything unusual. I stood out like a redwood in a forest of maples and I just hoped nobody would call the cops on the strange guy watching the children.

Shouting behind me caught my attention and I turned just in time to see a boy get knocked down by another larger boy. The bigger one started to pummel the smaller one and, like ants to a picnic, I saw kids come running from all directions.

"Hey!" I dashed to the fighters and grabbed the attacker by the back of his coat, lifting him off the smaller boy. The victim had a bloody lip and a scrape on his cheek but didn't look too badly injured. "What's going on here?"

The bigger boy glowered at me and snapped, "What's it to you?"

"What's it to me? Well, I'll tell ya. I don't think it's right when a big guy like you beats up someone smaller than they are. That's what it is to me." The smaller boy began picking up the contents of his bookbag.

I tried to hide my nervousness as the group grew larger and pressed closer. Apparently, having an adult in their midst didn't faze them at all. "Look, school's about to begin in a few minutes. If you hurry up, you all can get there before the first bell rings."

The bully smirked. "Like we care if we're late. They'll just send us to detention hall. Big deal."

The bolder kids in the group laughed and snickered at Bully's comment. "Well, whatever. I don't care." I tried to play it casual as I turned towards the smaller boy, intending to tell him to hurry to school. He was no longer in sight. The smart kid must have escaped while I was talking. Well, good. My work here was done. I really wanted to pull the paper out to check the story, but it would have to wait.

I began sidling towards the van. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll get going."

I almost made it but then the bully sneered."I was only going to get some lunch money from Bradley, but I bet you have a lot more than that." He motioned to the crowd. "Who wants some easy money?"

I bolted for the van. I almost made it too but something hit me in the back of the head. A flash of light erupted in my vision and a sharp pain blasted through my head. I stumbled forward. A second later, I was down on the ground with at least five kids on top of me. This must be what it was like for a stag to be taken down by a pack of wolves. Individually, I could take any one of these kids. Even a couple of them at a time, but not a whole group at once.

I tried to fight back but there were too many and soon, I stopped swinging my arms and just wrapped them protectively around my face and head. That left my body unprotected and my ribs vulnerable. I curled into a ball, trying not scream when a strong kick caught me low in the back. The world diminished to a red haze as the beating seemed to go on forever.

Eventually, I became aware that the kids had gone. I don't know what happened but for whatever reason, they had stopped. Distantly, I head a bell ring. Probably the school bell. Maybe that was the reason.

I groaned and uncurled my body. There wasn't an inch of me that didn't feel battered and bruised and when I brought my hands down, they were covered in blood from the back of my head.

It occurred to me that I probably shouldn't move, but instinct took over and I retreated to the safety of the van. I think I must have passed out for a few minutes once I got behind the wheel because the next thing I knew, I was slumped over and someone was knocking on my driver's window. I started violently and thought I might vomit from the sharp pain that lanced through my head. Please don't let it be the mob.

I turned my head to see a police officer looking at me, his expression unreadable.

"You okay?"

"Uh..." My brain didn't seem to be processing right and I just stared stupidly at him.

He reached for the handle but I must have locked the doors at some point. "Open up."

I guess I unlocked the doors but I don't remember too much after that until the next day when I woke up in the hospital. I was sore and my head hurt but my mind was finally clear. I had a bunch of tests and ate some green gelatin before they released me later that afternoon.

The doctor told me I had a pretty severe head injury and I should take it easy the next few weeks. I told him no problem. I prayed I wasn't lying.

The police came and questioned me. They practically implied that I was some kind of child abductor who had been thwarted by the children. At least, that's how they made me feel. No charges were pressed against me and none of the kids in the mob were identified.

I guess sometimes I can't actually save the victim. I just get to trade places with him. I should have listened to the cat. He tried to warn me.


End file.
